my new baby duckies

sozavacSeptember 9, 2010

so i just got 2 ducks from the feed store, they are starting to get feathers on their tail, mixed in with the fluff. ive been reading up on caring for and raising ducks but i still have a few questions..

1) when can i let them swim?

2) when will they start warming up to humans because mine are really sketchey around people

This is my biggest complaint about farm stores.How hard would it be to make copies of instructions to go home with new duck owners>
Anyway If you cover the cement with lots of paper then straw it is ok,I only did it temporarily but they must have water and I needed to change water and bedding three times a day with as many ducks as I had. Heat lamp a must. Most people will say No swimming for at least 3 weeks unless they have a momma duck to share her oil with them.
READ READ READ about them. they are fragile lil critters

they should be able to go under heat lamp or get away from it,the baby pen was made with 4 old closet doors

If you want them to be friendly, then you have to put in the effort now to convince them that you are their friend. It won't happen naturally -- you need to handle them, feed them delicious things by hand, spend time with them so that they understand that you mean good things.

You probably aren't going to turn them into lap pets, but if you toss something good to eat around your feet a couple of times a day and call them, with whatever call you intend to use for the rest of their life, they will soon be rushing to you whenever you call them.

That will make them a lot easier to pen up at night.

You are talking about a swimming pool? You do know that they poop as they swim along? They poop a lot and their poop is nasty stinky stuff.

I wouldn't let them swim until they have their feathers. Ducks don't actually need to swim, so it won't hurt them to wait.

You need to get them the type of waterer that they can't get anything into, except their bill. Otherwise their drinking water will be filthy all the time and that is not good for their health.